1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the quality of a movie has been improved from Hi-Vision image quality, to 4K image quality, and to 8K image quality. It is expected in the future that each of images constituting a movie, in other words, each of movie frames, will have an image quality which is substantially equal to the image quality of a conventional still image. In addition, there is a demand for acquiring a still image from a captured movie. For example, when a subject that is a desired target of photography suddenly appears, a movie is quickly captured, and afterwards a scene including the subject that is the desired target of photography, is extracted from the movie and acquired as a still image. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2016-32214 discloses a technique relating to an imaging apparatus having a movie photography mode for acquiring a movie which is composed of images suitable for still images.
In general, characteristics that are required for image quality are different between each of movie frames in the movie and an image in the still image. For example, in the movie, images are sequentially displayed at a predetermined frame rate. Thus, in each of the images constituting the movie, a natural connection with preceding and following images, rather than the level of completion such as a less conspicuous blur, is considered important, and is required. Accordingly, it is better for the images for the movie to have a certain degree of blur. On the other hand, for example, in the case of a still image, an image that constitutes the still image is continuously displayed. Thus, in each of the images constituting the still images, having a high level of completion as a single image, such as a less conspicuous blur, is considered important and is required. Also in the case of a time-lapse movie that is composed of still images that are acquired at specific time intervals, the same characteristics as with each of the images that constitute the still images are required for each of the images that constitute a time-lapse movie. In this manner, for example, in the movie which is composed of images having characteristics suitable for still images, it is possible that the connection between individual movie frames is not smooth, and that the movie cannot be suitably appreciated. Similarly, if a still image is extracted from the images suitable for a movie, it is possible that the image quality of this image as a still image is low.